Remembering Abigail

It will soon be 1 year since our dear one came and went so quickly. I think of her everyday and am shocked and surprised at how slowly and at the same time how quickly the time has passed. I miss her so much. I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do to commemorate her. A few of my family will likely be around because it coincides with my grandmother's passing (just last Sunday) and there'll be a memorial for her. I'm hoping we can also visit Abby's grave while my parents are here. Her gravestone will hopefully be in by then and we can maybe do a balloon release or something. I've heard of various ideas from other moms who have lost little ones. They inspire me with how they keep on living despite the loss of life and hopes and dreams and potential and future that they imagined with that child while they were pregnant with them.

Besides not blogging myself, I have been sooo behind in even reading blogs of other friends. So, I was reviewing a dear friends' blog today and came across a post she had made about us losing our daughter. Because she's a private blogger, I don't think the link would work so here's the post:

Old Friends

A few years ago our friends moved away.  They lived behind us, and, for me at least, their close proximity brought a certain level of comfort.  I miss them.  I drove by their old place a few weeks ago and noticed one red tulip growing in their front yard.  I thought I should take a picture of it and email it to them, because it looked so beautiful.  Our friends suffered a great loss recently, and they are often on my mind.  This tulip looked a little lonely, and yet it was beautiful, and I loved it.  A week passed and I still had not taken the picture.  Finally I noticed the tulip was ready to go the way-of-all-tulips and so I stopped at the side of the road to take this picture before the flower disappeared completely.  I still like the picture, even though it is not what I had seen at first.

I have a young women who sometimes doesn't realize or understand her worth.  She doesn't get how she impacts the lives of others.  I tried to explain to her one day what I would feel like if she were gone.  She's left permanent impressions on my heart.  Our friends have been gone for years now, and yet I still drive by their home and remember Melanie working hard to plant shrubs and flowers in their front gardens.  I can still see Connor-Boy riding his bike on the sidewalk.  And sometimes, when we're in our back yard, I remember hearing their voices in theirs.  They are gone from our every day lives, but they have left traces of themselves.  I love how we do that for each other!  One of the greatest blessings in our lives has been that of great friends. 

2 comments:

Amy said...

what a lovely post elaine. and i feel the same way about you moving from florida.

May 30, 2010 9:33 PM

momentsthattakeyourbreathaway said...

Elaine, thank you for this touching tribute. What a beautiful tulip- ironically I never planted this. You know that saying about reaping where you have not sewn?- seems to apply. That's neat how it was there and began to fade. We have adopted a similar thing that reminds us of the loss of our Abigail- rainbows. We saw a beautiful rainbow over the temple the day of her funeral. Now, every time we see rainbows, we remember her. My mom has called me a few times to tell me about the rainbows she's seen and the special feelings that brings up. Thank you for thinking of us and helping us remember our girl.-- We miss you guys so much and wish we were there again listening to you guys playing in your yard too. :)

June 18, 2010 12:52 PM

 
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